


Around His Neck

by Siberianskys



Series: Avengers Tower [1]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Cleaning, Developing Friendships, Established Relationship, Established friendships, F/M, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Language, M/M, Moving, Phil Coulson's Cellist
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-07
Updated: 2020-02-21
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:55:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22562101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Siberianskys/pseuds/Siberianskys
Summary: Prompt: Wedding Ring
Relationships: Clint Barton & Natasha Romanov, Clint Barton & Pepper Potts, Clint Barton/Phil Coulson, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark
Series: Avengers Tower [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1641490
Comments: 12
Kudos: 66
Collections: Allbingo





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Valentines Fest at Allbingo.

Clint sat hunched over on the sofa, his hands dangling between his knees. Nat was his best friend and if he picked-up the phone and asked her for help he knew she would come running, but Phil was not only his deceased husband, but Phil's death was on him. Clint blew out a deep breath through his lips and took his mobile out of his pocket. Scanning through his contacts, including the ones that had recently been added by the other members of the Avengers. He dialed the number attached to Tony's private floor which he hoped would gain him access to Tony's girlfriend, Pepper. Phil had only had good things to say about her, so she seemed to be the obvious choice to ask advice from.

"This is J.A.R.V.I.S.; how may I direct your call?" J.A.R.V.I.S. asked, answering the phone. 

"This is Clint Barton," Clint said. "I'm Hawkeye on the Avengers. I need to speak to Miss Potts." 

"Of course, Agent Barton," J.A.R.V.I.S. said. "I will inform her of your request. Please hold."

Clint laughed when "Back In Black" started to play in his ear. The hold music lightened his mood considerably. He couldn't help himself; he really liked Tony. He knew Phil had, too, no matter what he said. 

"Agent Barton," a female voice interrupted the song he'd been humming to. "This is Pepper Potts. You wanted to speak to me."

"Yes, ma'am, I'm sorry to bother you, but I didn't know who else to call," Clint said. "Phil always had nice things to say about you."

"Phil?" Pepper asked.

"I'm sorry, Coulson," Clint said. 

"I know," Pepper said. "I was just surprised to hear you call him Phil. Every one seemed to call him Coulson."

"A little weird to refer to your husband by his last name," Clint said. 

"Husband!" Pepper said, surprised. 

"Fuck--Sorry. I thought you knew," Clint said. 

"No need to be sorry," Pepper said. "I live with Tony."

"Is this going to be awkward?" Clint asked. 

"Of course not," Pepper said. "I just thought there was a cellist."

"Really, he's still telling people that," Clint said, "or was." 

Hearing the pain in Clint's voice, Pepper quietly said, "You're the cellist."

"He couldn't tell people what we really did and he wasn't out to his family," Clint said, his calloused fingers rubbing his and Phil's wedding rings hanging on the chain around his neck, "so the bow thing became a joke. I don't think he meant to lie to you; I think it was just a reflex to go with the cover story."

"Is it okay to call you Clint?" Pepper asked. 

"Sure," Clint said. 

"Clint, do you need me to come?" Pepper asked. 

"Yes, ma'am," Clint said. 

"I'm on my way," Pepper said.


	2. Chapter 2

Sitting among Phil's things had been paralyzing. He tried staying in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s New York Head Quarters' housing, but the other agents had treated him like a pariah, blaming him for the deaths of Loki's victims, including Phil. It wasn't like he wasn't already blaming himself, but to hear it from voices other than his own was just making his guilt worse. So after one night he went home and tried sleeping on the pull-out couch in Phil's home office that doubled as the guestroom. The idea of sleeping in their bed was too much. But, it was just as bad being among all of Phil's collectables. The Captain America memorabilia and extensive record collection reminded him even more of his husband than the decor that Phil had picked-out long before Clint moved in. That was the point that he'd broken down and called Pepper. He didn't know what he expected, but it wasn't for Pepper and Tony to go to the lengths they did for him and as it turned out, the rest of the team. 

When Pepper arrived, she hadn't come alone. Tony was with her and he looked--determined. 

Pepper hugged Clint and asked, "Do you have bags packed?"

"Where am I going?" Clint asked. 

"Avengers Tower," Tony said. 

"The Avengers have a tower?" Clint asked. 

"I thought it would be convenient to have us all under one roof," Tony said, "and Pep was on board, so we moved up the time table. You don't need to be knocking around here by yourself."

Clint didn't know what to say.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompts: Play A Musical Instrument, Bath House/Sauna, and Sleeping With A Stuffed Animal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the Valentines Fest at Allbingo.

Clint stood in his apartment in Avengers Tower left with instructions to let J.A.R.V.I.S. know what changes he'd like to make and to ask for anything he needed. Clint couldn't imagine that Pepper or Tony had left anything uncovered. This place was unbelievable. Pepper had even gone as far as to have his piano moved from his and Phil's place. He hadn't realized that she and Tony had brought a truck and two movers with them when they came to get him at his place. He was grateful that they had been that thoughtful. The piano had been a gift from Phil on their first anniversary. Happy had driven him and Tony to Avengers Tower while Pepper stayed and oversaw the moving of the few things that Clint wanted right away. 

Clint sat on the piano bench and played "You're The Top" singing along to himself. Phil had loved Cole Porter. When Clint had first started dating Phil he had no idea who Cole Porter was. He thought that might have been a deal breaker, but instead Phil had parked him in front of _Anything Goes_. Clint could see the attraction. When Phil had gifted him the piano, Clint had learned all of Phil's favorites. 

When Clint had tired himself out practicing, he went into the bathroom and stripped off all his clothes and dropped them onto the floor. He was going to just take a quick shower, but the sauna at the back of the bathroom called to him. He warmed himself in the traditional sauna until he was afraid he would fall asleep in the heat. Instead of the shower he'd planned for, he settled into the Japanese soaking tub until the water cooled. It had been a nice wash.

After drying off, Clint went into the bedroom and laughed. Sitting on his bed, was a stuffed fox. To be exact, it was a stuffed fox that looked like Disney's Robin Hood. He crawled between the soft sheets and hugged the fox as he drifted off to sleep.


End file.
